Pacific and Pasifika Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/4764

The theses listed in this collection were all completed at Massey University in a range of different departments and institutes. They have been included in this collection if the topic is strongly related to Pasifika/the Pacific.

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Reading between the lines : is news media in Fiji supporting or challenging gender stereotypes? : a frame analysis of local news media coverage of violence against women during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign of 2017
(Massey University, 2018) Van Baaren, Ellie
Violence against women is recognised as a global public health issue and an obstacle to development, as ending it is inextricably linked with achieving gender equality. The public relies on and believes in the capacity of news media to present them with a ‘true’ picture of reality and the news media are therefore treated as valuable allies in changing the norms, beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate violence against women. In the production and consumption of news, however, journalists employ frames to condense complex events into interesting and appealing news reports, in turn influencing how audiences view particular events, activities and issues, especially when it comes to attributing blame and responsibility. This study employs a frame analysis to identify whether, and to what extent, episodic or thematic framing is used in news articles on violence against women published in the Fiji Sun and Fiji Times during and around the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign of 2017. It showed that episodic framing was overwhelmingly used in the sample, thereby divorcing the violence from its social roots and encouraging audiences to blame the individuals involved, both for the violence itself and for remedying it. This directly contradicts the campaign’s central principles positioning violence against women as a social and development issue that requires every member of society to play a part in ending it. The results, therefore, suggest that changes are needed in how organisations engage with the news media to ensure that coverage of violence against women improves in both quantity and quality.
The participation of women in the Solomon Islands education system : a study with particular reference to Solomon Island women who held New Zealand government tertiary scholarships between 1973 and 1990 : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Development Studies at Massey University
(Massey University, 1994) Quinn, Marion
This is a study on the participation of women in the Solomon Islands education system, focussing in particular on the experiences of Solomon Islands women who held New Zealand Government tertiary scholarships between 1973 and 1990. Despite increasing international recognition of the importance of education for girls and women in addressing critical national economic and social goals, gender remains the single most significant determinant of access to schooling in most developing countries. While there is a growing body of literature on factors affecting the participation of girls and women in education in developing countries, little has been written on the subject in relation to the South Pacific and nothing of substance in relation to Solomon Islands. More generally, Altbach (1985) noted the lack of research on the experience of women as overseas students and the outcomes of tertiary education for women in developing countries. The findings of this study confirm research carried out elsewhere that the socio-economic status of parents has greater influence on the schooling of girls than of boys. For the earliest women tertiary students, the encouragement of educated fathers was of particular significance in breaking down traditional barriers to girls' participation in education. Girls and women from matrilineal societies were, in general, given greater encouragement to enter and to remain longer in school. In undertaking tertiary study overseas and returning to positions of responsibility in both the public and private sectors, the women in this study were in many ways 'trailblazers' for the women who followed behind them. Their position was not an easy one, subject often to personal misunderstanding and criticism as they sought a new role and a new status for women in Solomon Islands society. Yet this was not an elite, Westernised group, divorced from their own society. Those interviewed were characterised by a strong commitment to assisting other Solomon Islands women and to contributing effectively to the development of their society. The study concludes that the interests of development have been well served by the investment in their education.
Childbearing in Timor-Leste : beliefs, practices and issues : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies, Massey University
(Massey University, 2005) Thomas, Bronwyn
Timor-Leste is country with a past, a past that reveals considerable strength and a will to achieve the right to be self determining. It is also a country that will need development assistance for many years to come. Lack of development by Portugal, the former colonial power, compounded by an illegal and destructive occupation by Indonesia it was a country largely devoid of infrastructure at the time of independence in 2002. The population of this small half island is diverse, ethnically and linguistically. The population is considered to be amongst the poorest in the world and women's health, particularly the high maternal mortality rates and the issue of domestic violence have been identified as key areas for development. Women's marginal status in Timorese society is due to traditional and patriarchal practices which enable males to exert control and power over women in many facets of daily life. One of the numerous results of this is that women have reduced access to valued resources including health, education and food. Children are greatly valued, but the high fertility and maternal mortality rates has led the government to identify reproductive health as a high priority. Childbirth is only one aspect of reproductive health but it has traditionally received greater attention. Utilising qualitative research a small group of rural women shared their experiences and practices of childbearing. One aspect the women identified was a lack of information as childbirth is a taboo subject until a woman becomes a mother. In view of this and the numerous priorities identified by Timorese government for future work, including the mainstreaming of gender health concerns I consider the research findings. Due to the need for cost effective and sustainable programmes I recommend Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) as an area for future exploration and consideration. This is an area found to be commonly overlooked in development activities, but can have many positive outcomes. A broad ASRH programme could address not only the issues of poor information but also work toward challenging gender norms and values which are key influences on women's reproductive health and childbearing experiences. ASRH may be controversial, but some consider programmes can be implemented as early as ten years of age. As adolescents are the next generation of parents and the most receptive to change they are the ideal target group for the future health of this country.
Catholic women's programme in Malaita, Solomon Islands : breaking the culture of silence through empowerment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
(Massey University, 1996) Macbride-Stewart, Sheila
This thesis describes the initiation, development and progress of a programme to empower Melanesian village women. The women are disadvantaged in many ways, among them being minimal literacy skills and living in a patriarchal society. This thesis found that revealing to the women their great value and skills and so increasing their self-worth and confidence was a crucial initial step of the programme. A participatory approach to the women's empowerment targeted personal inner development of the women rather than being pre-occupied with income generating projects as so many women's programmes are. The programme expanded from teaching about leadership, women's roles and integral human development, to include a health programme and a young women's programme. The programme is assessed in terms of the achievements of its goal of empowering women. It was found to address strategic gender needs that the women themselves had identified during the programme. Women are now more able to challenge men and tradition in order to work towards a more equitable society.
'Tu ga na inima ka luvu na waqa' : (The bail to get water out of the boat is in the boat yet the boat sinks) : the cultural constructs of health and wellbeing amongst Marama iTaukei in a Fijian village in Lau and in a transnational Fijian community in Whanganui, Aotearoa : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Policy at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa
(Massey University, 2015) Meo-Sewabu, Litea Diloki
The study identified that there are a number of criteria that have to be met in order for Marama iTaukei or Indigenous Fijian woman to be perceived as healthy. Findings suggest that current health frameworks need to take into account the determinants of health that are informed by cultural constructs that emerged as key findings in this study including: Dau veiqaravi or being of service, Taucoko ni qaravi itavi or completion and completeness of tasks, Na veiwekani or maintaining harmony in relationships and Kena I rairai outward reflection or physical appearance and Bula vakayalo or Sprituality. Exploring the intricate and delicate weaving of Fijian epistemologies and Western philosophies as illustrated through the Tanoa Health Belief Framework emerging from the findings in this thesis, may ideally be the future to improving health and wellbeing for, Marama iTaukei. The Tanoa Health Belief Framework has been developed to assist health and community workers to assess the determinants of health and wellbeing amongst Fijian women. This was a qualitative study with a total of 23 participants conducted in two geographical locations, one in Fiji and one in Aotearoa. The study was not a comparative study however; the study in Fiji enabled an exploration of how perceptions and experiences of health and wellbeing have evolved as Fijian women have migrated to Aotearoa. Ethnography was used as the overarching methodology as well as the Vanua methodology. Methods used included talanoa, participant observation and photovoice. In terms of methodology, a Tali magimagi Framework pulled together the strands of what constitutes this thesis. This includes the process of ‘cultural discernment’ emerging from the ethics process encountered in this research. The concept of ‘culturally embedded agency’ is also presented in this thesis arguing that there needs to be an agency-oriented approach to women’s agenda. Culturally embedded agency calls for social policy that incorporates full participation of women in society, inclusive of indigeneity goals, cultural wellbeing and fairness. Implications of this study and recommendations are based on ensuring that health and wellbeing is achieved for the Marama iTaukei.
'It's not a him, it's a her' : an exploration into the changes and challenges, meanings and mechanisms in the lives of Timorese women workers on the offshore Bayu-Undan Gas Recycling Project : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2014) Adams, Virginia
This thesis is concerned with the ways in which the potentials of a group of Timorese women, with early aspirations of achieving economic self-reliance through formal work, have been realised through their recruitment into non-traditional jobs on the Bayu-Undan Gas Recycling Project in the Timor Sea. The aspirational horizons and experiences of the sixteen women who comprise the sample of this study run counter to those of most women in Timor-Leste, where poverty and pervasive patriarchal ideologies relegate them to the domestic sphere as wives and mothers subject to the authority of men. Their reality as working women also runs counter to that of other female waged workers in the developing world reported as experiencing poor wages and working conditions and discrimination in the workplace and for some, resentment or violence from husbands. The findings of this study point to new evidence of young Timorese women at the beginning of their post-secondary school journeys exhibiting a high level of agency. This is reflected in their personal qualities, both inherent and socially fostered, of determination, courage and self-belief, and confidence in their aptitude to learn new competencies, with strategic goals of economic independence and an awareness of their right to shape their own lives towards this end. In addition to this they have had the crucial social resource of support from family members and from husbands and male partners. It is rare to see the inclusion of gender, explicitly or tacitly, in the local content commitments associated with petroleum extraction projects in developing countries. This thesis has identified the pivotal role, played by a locally-owned Timorese contracting company, confident in the capacity of Timorese women to be effective offshore crewmembers, in shaping the employee component of the Bayu-Undan project’s local content to incorporate females. What is also of significance is that these women occupy well-paid, valued positions of responsibility on the western platform, where a culture of non-gender discrimination sees them receiving respect from male personnel, including their Timorese male co-workers, and being supported in their ambitions to up-skill, in some cases into historically male areas. At home, the women’s new identities as high income-earners employed in non-traditional work have given them greater social and economic status. While there is some concern that their economic autonomy could be eroded by excessive family demands, the new financial resources provided by the women are seen by them, and others, as important obligations towards improving the lives and prospects of extended family members. Additionally, as a ‘realising potential’ outcome from their incomes, new opportunities and valued ways of being have opened up for the women themselves and their immediate families.
Too many hats : exploring the possibilities for women's political empowerment within Cook Islands civil society : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in International Development at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2013) Stenson, Barbara-Anne
This thesis explores the possibilities for women’s political empowerment beyond numbers represented in national parliament. Women’s perspectives and contributions to policy decision making are seen as a key factor in a nation’s development and women’s representation in national parliament is a key indicator of the Millennium Development Goal Three on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. However, this thesis argues that there are other forms of political empowerment beyond numbers in national parliament that should be considered Pacific women have the lowest representation in national parliaments globally. The international community is encouraging Pacific countries to increase the number of women in national parliaments by introducing gender quotas. However, there has been little investigation into women’s political voices in Pacific societies outside of national parliament. This thesis thus investigates how women’s political empowerment is understood within Cook Islands civil society and explores the various ways in which women in Cook Islands civil society exercise political power. A gender and development empowerment approach formed the theoretical basis for this research. Moser’s (1989) ideas on the triple role of women and practical and strategic gender needs were used as tools of analysis. Fieldwork took place over four weeks in the Cook Islands in mid-2012. Development research principles, as well as Pacific methodologies, guided the fieldwork which utilised a mixed methods approach. The findings of this study show that despite women being underrepresented in national parliament women do exercise political power within Cook Islands civil society. Women often use strategies to exercise political power indirectly, through context-specific and culturally acceptable ways so as to maintain important social and political relationships. Women work collaboratively with government and many contribute to policy development and implementation. Despite this however, women are being stretched in their roles within the community by neoliberal donor and government policies and programmes. The main implications of the findings, and the conclusion of the thesis, is that development policy and practice must take into consideration women’s multiple roles and recognise that advocacy work within civil society is an important strategic gender need. Civil society advocacy should be supported by donor programmes to encourage women to be politically involved in their country’s development.
Gender, security, and development : a Bougainville case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North
(Massey University, 2013) Cuddy, Sharon
Research on contemporary alignments of development and security agendas has paid limited attention to how gender relations, roles and issues of equality are constructed and experienced within post-conflict contexts. While practices like gender mainstreaming have been committed to in principle and in policy by organisations and countries heavily involved in development and security interventions, more research is required into actual practices and outcomes. This thesis utilises a case study, the Bougainville Community Policing Project, to examine the efficacy of gender approaches practiced within a merged securitydevelopment intervention. The research highlights how increased participation of women within such interventions, while important for meeting practical gender needs, is not in itself enough to enable more strategic gender needs to be met. In seeking to understand more fully the gendered impacts of such interventions on communities the prioritising of particular development issues over others, including gender equality, becomes visible.
Contesting development : the experience of female-headed households in Samoa : a dissertation presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2007) Stewart-Withers, Rochelle R.
There is a plethora of development literature, both academic and policy oriented, that problematises female-headed households in normative ways, positioning them as socially isolated, stigmatised, lacking in agency and poor, equated with the ‘feminisation of poverty’. Through positioning female-headed households as ‘other’ there is also a notable lack of regard for the diverse socio-political and cultural context which within female-headed households reside. By situating this research within a feminist postdevelopment framework, and through the use of participatory methodologies and the articulation of individual biographies of the development experience, this dissertation seeks to re-position our understanding of the development experience of female-headed households. Drawing on the case of Samoa, this study demonstrates how fa’asamoa (the Samoan way), inclusive of fa’amatai (customary system of governance), the feagaiga (brother/sister relationship) and the practice of fa’alavelave (demonstrating love and concern), all support the welfare and wellbeing of female-headed households, including any children born of these households. They also afford women in female-headed households a certain level of voice and agency. The thesis further highlights that the category of female-headed households was not well understood within Samoa because neither villagers nor policy makers labelled women in this way. Rather, women were recognised in relation to the cultural framework of fa’asamoa which situates them in terms of their position within their family, their natal village and the wider community. This illustrates the importance of culture when attempting to frame the development experiences of female-headed households in any part of the world. Development researchers and practitioners need to seriously question just how useful the practice of categorising and labelling is to Development Studies. In highlighting the problematic nature of universal labels and categories, this thesis concludes that the starting point of analysis for female-headed households needs to begin with the sociopolitical-cultural context, as opposed to the category of female-headed households. Shifting beyond a desire to uncritically categorise and label will provide a space for envisioning new approaches to development thinking and practice, and for truly seeing the ways that people struggle, often successfully, to create and pursue opportunities.

Pacific and Pasifika Theses

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